Michter's US*1 Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey, 70 cl, 42.4% ABV

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Either way, I’m not writing this for them. I’m writing this for the other segment of Malt’s readership, the ones who believe that production processes have a direct impact on the flavors of the resultant whiskey, and that maximum transparency about these processes allows us to make better-informed decisions about what whiskey is likely to taste better. To us, a great whiskey story is a story of making great whiskey, whether or not it features former presidents, heirloom recipes, infamous gangsters, Vikings, etc.

This latter category doesn’t include Michter’s, and I doubt it ever will. I suspect they’ve been too commercially successful with the procure-and-pretend model to ever pivot to their own production, absent some seismic change in the availability of sourced whiskey. Michter’s diehard stans and those newer to the hobby will likely continue their tireless pursuit of bottles from this resurrected and repurposed brand. For my part, I’ll continue pounding the drum of truth and transparency so that others – should they decide to buy a bottle of Michter’s – know what they’re getting, or at least know what they don’t know about what they’re getting. Instead they have opted to expand production. They’ve added six large fermenters, extended hours on the main distillery so as to run 24/7, and added new and improved bottling equipment. However, we’re years from the true output of these additions, and will have to make do with less in the meantime. So a ranking of all the bottles of Michter’s whiskey is relevant to more than just the true aficionados. It’s for the people!It also meant a lot to see a woman in this top position, being a very young woman just getting into whiskey. Michter’s likes to say its 10-year rye “continues the legacy of America’s first whiskey variety (rye) from America’s first whiskey company.” The distillery ties its history to Shenk’s, which opened in Pennsylvania in 1753 – and, no doubt, made Monongahela Rye. That distillery eventually became Bomberger which, following Prohibition and another couple of decades, became Michter’s.

I guess the one point in favor of sourcing is if (and a big IF) the bottler truly does have a unique process or recipe. Like Old Elk, for example, who use a unique-to-them mash bill. Sure, it’s sourced by MGP, but you can’t just go out elsewhere and get a high-malt mash bill under another MGP label or brand name (not that I’m aware of, anyway). Still, why not be transparent about it (at least Old Elk appears to be fairly transparent in this)?Already we’re seeing younger releases coming to market, and that will continue, in addition to just seeing less rye whiskey altogether. We’re also going to see new and more experimental rye whiskies– which I think is only a good thing, in an industry built upon creativity and innovation. And another hopeful caveat to that – a decade or so down the line, we’re going to be seeing some really, really good aged ryes coming out.